Brew cooling and dispensing installation



Feb. 22, 1944.

G. D. FEET BREW COOLING AND DISPENSING INSTALLATION Filed July 26, 19403 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- Geraia! D. Peep M ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1944.6.1:. PEET 2,342,299

BREW COOLING'AND DISPENSING INSTALLATION I Filed July 26, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1944.- 9, 557 2,342,299

BREW COOLING AND DISPENSING INSTALLATION Filed July 26, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR GeralaflPeeZ' BY v 38 46 45 39 40 4'7 ATTORNEYSPatented Feb. 22, 1944 BREW COOLING AND DISPENSING INSTALLATION Gerald1). Peat, Montclair, N. J., assignor to Novadel-Agene Corporation,Newark, N. J., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 26, 1940, Serial No. 347,645

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to brew cooling and dispensinginstallations and is more especially concerned with improvements uponthat general type of application of Schulse Patent No. 2,051,013, whichis disclosed and claimed in Panagpoulos Reissue Patent No. 21,352 ofFebruary 13, 1940.

An object of the invention is to provide a practical installation of theabove type, by which deterioration of the brew by loss of carbonation orotherwise, in the elongated path of flow from the keg to a faucet remotetherefrom is reliably precluded and by which even in tropical heat, thebrew as discharged from the faucet will be cooled to the desired lowtemperature.

Another object is to provide an installation of the above type, whichadmits of pre-fabrication of the equipment in a few units orsub-assemblies, that are installed with ease and economy at the tavernor tap room to permit drawing from any number of kegs on tap to faucetsremote therefrom.

Another object is to provide an installation of the character set forth,from which draining of the cooling fluid in whole or in part bysiphoning is precluded in the course of disconnecting a keg, forinstance, and in which any eventual loss of cooling fluid by leakage orevaporation or the like is automatically compensated for.

A feature of the invention is the arrangement of heat insulating hose,jacket or tube structure connecting the hollow parts in the various beerkegs to the dispensing box remote therefrom and enclosing the respectivebrew lines, through which jacket cooling fluid is circulated to applyrefrigerating effect to the brew line substantially throughout theentire course from the keg to the faucet, the return of cooling fluidfrom the kegs and the dispensing box respectively being desirably alsoconveyed through such heat insulating tubes or jackets for furtherrefrigeration effect.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l. is a diagrammatic view of the installation,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view with parts broken away showing the hoseassembly connecting the keg with respect to the distributing case,

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal cross-section taken on line 33 of Fig.2,

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse cross-section taken on line -4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig.3,

Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a view in transverse cross-section taken along the line l---!of Fig. 3,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the details of the assembly ofdistributor case and dispensing box and connections from the former tothe hose which leads to the kegs and which are shown diagrammatically inFig. 1,

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View through the flow restriction takenon line 9-8 of Fig. 8, and,

Fig. 101s a cross-sectional view of the float control associated withthe refrigerator box.

Referring now to the drawings, a typical installation according to theinvention comprises a plurality of brew kegs K ordinarily standing onthe floor of a room orbasement, each of which kegs is of the generaltype disclosed in the prior Schulse Patent No. 2,098,211. For thepresent purpose, it will not be necessary to describe the constructionof such kegs in detail, but it need merely be briefly noted that thekeg, whether of wood or of metal, has incorporated in the structurethereof a hollow part, in heat conductive relation with the brewcontents, and is equipped with an inlet and an outlet for cooling fluidwhich is circulated therethrough to cool the brew in the keg and keep it0001. In the particular embodiment illustratively shown in the drawings,the hollow part or cavity is a metal cooling conduit extending in ahelical coil It in the lower half of the keg, and having risers I i andi2 afiixed in the upper head and through one of which the cooling fluid,desirably chilled water, enters and through the other of which it leavesthe keg in the continuous circulation therethrough. Each of those of thekegs on tap has shown inserted through a tap hole i3 thereof, the drafttube M which may be of conventional construction and passes through aconventional stufiing box or connector 9 which in turn is aliixed to thekeg by means of an appropriate bushing 15. .To each of the kegs on tapis connected by means of a conventional union Hi, the lower end of thebrew line, which extends to the remote faucet. The conventional carbondoxide gas or air line for propelling brew from the kegs is shown at a.In case of the usual basement installation, the brew line extends to thestreet floor where the dispensing box H is located at the bar.

According to the present invention, the cooling liquid lscirculated notonly through the cooling coil or other hollow part of the kegstructures, but also along the entire length of the brew line leadingfrom the keg to the dispensing box. To this end, the water or othercooling liquid in the liquid cooling box it is maintained at the desiredcold temperature by any suitable refrigerating system, the onediagrammatically shown comprising a coil l9 submerged in said coolingbox l8 through which the refrigerant is circulated, the compressor 25being driven from motor M.

The cooling medium is propelled by means of a pump 22 submerged in theliquid cooling box and driven by motor 22 into a horizontal supply main23, and it is discharged back into the box it through return main 24.

Desirably, the respective kegs are connected in parallel across themains, and according to one feature of the invention that section 25 ofthe brew line from each. keg to the vicinity of the circulating mains isin heat exchange relation with respect to the branch refrigeratingconnections to the keg. For this purpose, the connections both for brewflow and for cooling fluid between the keg and the region of the mainsare all incorporated in a single unitary conduit, ordinarily a rubberhose 25 of conventional flexible type.

Likewise. the major length of brew lines 28 from said hoses leading tothe brew faucets F on the dispensing box are incorporated in a heatinsulatin jacket 29, through which cooling fluid is circulated. Thespecific construction of the heat insulating jacket need not be furtherdescribed herein as it is not per se part of the invention hereinclaimed. A desirable embodiment of such jacket is described in mycopending application, Serial No. 298,753 filed October 10, 1939.

The various connections for brew and for cooling fluid between themains, the kegs and the dispensing box are desirably led. through adistributor case 36. That case is preferably a box with heat insulatingwalls, through the opposite sides of which extend two pairs of pipestuds, the pair 32 and 36 being desirably aligned and communicatingdirectly with the interior of the box, and the pair 3! and 33 beingconnected by a pipe length 35 across the interior of the box as bestshown in Fig. 8.

The bottom of the box has affixed thereto a plurality, illustrativelyfour outlets. For compactness, the outer outlets 36 and 31 are elbowswhich at their outer ends extend outward longitudinally of the box, andthe inner elbows 3t, 39 extend at right angles thereto as shown. Theseelbows are desirably covered, each with an insulating jacket to, withonly the extremity of the elbow protruding, for connection of hoses 26thereto as hereinafter described.

The pipe 35 has desirably a plurality of pipe stud branches ll extendinggenerally downward therefrom. The top of the distributor case has a pipestud 42 afiixed therein protruding upward therefrom.

Where the mains extend only to one side of the distributor case insteadof to both sides as shown in the diagrammatic View of Fig. 1 a cap 43shown in dot and dash lines would be used to close the studs 33 and 3and such cap would he aflixed to the box by screws 44, so that the studson either side may be sealed for facility of connecting the pipe mainseither at the left or right of the box, as desired. Two or more of thedistributing boxes could be connected in a single system in which casethe cap 43 would be removed from all but the box at the extreme right orleft as the case may be. In addition, the disresponding elbow on thedistributor case is a cortributor case 38 is preferably provided with astraight outlet 45 normally closed by plug 46 for accommodating adrinking water conduit, not shown in Fig. 8, but indicateddiagrammatically at in Fig. 1. The conduit 86 is passed through outlet35, through case 38 and through the length of jacket 29, the watercooled in such course of flow being delivered through faucet 85 at theouter end of conduit 85.

The connection between each keg and the corresponding unit best shown inFigs. 2 to '7. This unit is enclosed in the rubber hose 25, preferablyreinforced with a helical wire 21 molded therein.

The hose 25 is affixed at one end by means of a hose clamp. about theprotruding metal extremity of the corresponding elbow. The opposite endof the hose has a ferrule 48 thereon, and is forced over theperipherally grooved plug 29, which has a pair of radially extendingpipe studs, one of which, 59, communicates with a longitudinal bore iiiin the plug, that in turn com municates with the interior of the hose26. The other stud 52 communicates with a return pipe 53 in the interiorof the hose. About the studs 59 and 52 are affixed by means of hoseclamps 54 short rubber tubes 55, the outer ends of which have metal pipefittings 56 therein equipped with tapered plugs 57, desirably of rubber,that are plugged into the corresponding inlets and outlets of thecooling coils III of the respective kegs. The fittings 56 also includecocks 58 for shutting off the supply of cooling fluid in replacing anempty keg.

The plug 49 also has mounted therein the inner end of a flexible beerhose 59 which extends through the hose 2%. This beer hose is preferablyof a special synthetic rubber composition inert to beer, one desirableform of which is made of the material known as Koroseal. Alignedwith thebore 60 through the plug 49 for the beer is a beer cock 6|, the outerend of which carries the conventional union IE, which is removablyaffixed to the extremity of the draft tube i l.

The return pipe 53 and the beer hose 59 extend beyond the upper or outerend of the hose 26, which is afiixed to the distributor case as abovedescribed. The return pipe 53 is passed through the corresponding elbowinto the distributor case Eli, and is telescoped over and aflixed to thecorresponding stud branch 4! of the pipe 35 in said case. The beer hose59 is also passed through the elbow, and is affixed at its upper enddesirably to a stainless steel brew line section 28. The brew lines fromthe several kegs are gathered at the upper end of the distributing caseand extend through the stud 42 up to the dispensing box H.

The heat insulating jacket 29 is afiixed as by a hose clamp 63 to saidstud 42, encircles the several brew lines, and is affixed at itsopposite or upper end to a stud 64 at the lower end of the dispensingbox If. A return pipe 65 extends from the stand pipe end 65' thereofnear the top of the dispensing box if through the heat insulating jacket29, and is affixed at its lower end upon branch stud 6B of pipe 35 inthe distributor case, which stud desirably extends generally upward asshown.

The operation of the installation as thus far described will be brieflysummarized. A fresh keg is connected on the line by pressing the taperplugs 51 of the rubber tubes 55 of the corresponding hose 26 into theterminals of the cooling coil lil. 'Ihereupon the cooks 58 are opened.

hen the pump 22 is operat ng. the coo n fluid is pump d f om the box 18through the main 23 to fill the distributor case 38. Thence it is pumpedin parallel through the various elbows 36 to 39 to fill the hoses 26 toand the coils l of the various kegs on the line. Each hose conveys thecooling fluid through the plug 49 thereof by way of inlet tube 55through the cooling coil in in the keg, and by way of the companion tube55 back to the plug 49 and thence through return pipe 53 within the hose26 to the associated branch stud 4| and into the return main 24 back .tothe liquid cooling box l8.

In parallel with the flow through the various kegs, cooling fluid ispumped through the stud 42. upward through the heat insulating jacket 29around the lengths of the various brew lines 23 therein into thedispensing box 11, from which it overflows by way of the upper or standpipe end 65' of the return pipe 65, back through the length of the heatinsulating jacket 29 to the stud $6 to return through the return mainpipe 35 back to the refrigerator box !8. The interior of the distributorcase 30 is in effect part of the supply or inlet main, for all of thekegs as well .as the dispensing box as described are supplied withcooling fluid by tapping therefrom.

Since the resistance to flow of the elongated heat insulating jacket 29and return pipe 65 therein from the dispensing box would, in the absenceof other precautions be considerably greater than that through the kegs,and espe- .cially through a multiplicity of the kegs connected inparallel, additional resistance is imparted to the circulation ofcooling fluid to the latter, by restricting the pipe fittings 55,desirably at the region encircled by the tapered plug 5! for instance bya Venturi restriction 61. As a consequence, the flow is so distributedas to cause, in the usual installation, a flow of cooling fluid at therate of one gallon per minute through the dispensing box and 1.5 gallonsper minute through each of the kegs on the line.

Since the cooling fluid is supplied from the main to fill all voids inthe flexible hoses 26 as well as in the heat insulating jacket 29, noair voids or pockets result and the cooling of the pipes or tubestherein is particularly effective. The return flow through the muchsmaller return pipes 53 and 65 respectively contained in the hoses andin the heat insulating jacket is at faster rate of flow, and contributesfurther to the refrigerating effect, and to the neatness and simplicityof assembly.

The entire length of the draft tube I4 including the upper exposedlength thereof is maintained cold by the circulation of cooling fluidthrough the keg K, so that the brew on its way through said draft tubehas no opportunity to warm by the time it enters the brew hose 59.Within the outer hose 26, the brew hose is further cooled and throughoutthe entire passage through the brew line clear up to the dispensing thebrew line is enclosed within refrigerated heat insulated chambers, andthe brew at no part of its course can become heated and the brew istherefore guarded throughout against the release of. gas, and will notbecome cloudy, flat or otherwise impaired.

In the flow of the brew through the brew line on its way from the keg tothe faucet, further cooling occurs of the brew derived from the alreadycooled keg contents. This is due :to the fact that the hose 2t and thejacket 29 respectively, are excellent heat insulators, and the coolingfluid presents a larger heat exchange area with the volume of brew incontact therewith. whereas the keg is a less perfect heat insulater, andthe cooling coil in the keg has a much smaller heat exchange area,relative to the volume of brew cooled thereby. Accordingly, in thepassage of the cooled brew from the keg to the faucet, the brew issubjected to further cooling. The usual thermostat on the circulatingsystem i is preferably set in accordance with general climaticconditions, so that in moderate weather the brew in the keg may bemaintained cool, but temperature somewhat above dispensing temperature,the further refrigeration to bring it down to dispensing temperaturebeing effected in the traverse thereof through the brew line to thefaucet. In extremely warm weather, above ninety degrees F. for instance,it is frequently difiicult with ordinary keg constructions and with theuse of plain chilled water as the cooling medium to draw the brew fromthe hog at below degrees 1 However, inthe present system the furthercooling down to 36 or 38 degrees F. necessary under such adverse weatherconditions obtain a drinking temperature in the glass of lO" to F. wouldin that case be effected in the course of the transit of the brewthrough the length of the brew line.

In addition to delivering the brew at the proper temperature, it isimportant that the brew be delivered in the glass with the head orcollar preferred by beer fanciers. According to the present invention,this head may be accurately predetermined in manner now to be set forth,so that it invariably will result, by simply opening the faucet quicklywithout the exercise of particular skill on the part of the bartender.To this end each. faucet F is mounted on a corresponding carrying block68 at the forward face of the dispensing box, equipped with a transverserod 69 having a hemispherical end iii, protruding transversely acrossthe longitudinal bore 'H, and axially ali ned with a correspondinghemispherical depression i2 transversely of the bore. The rod 69 isattached to the block by means of a gland '53 into which he rod isthreaded as at M, the outer end of the rod being equipped with a knob orhandle 75. The block 63 is afiixed to the outwardly protruding nipple iiof a plug '55 in the dispensing box, affixed by lock nuts if. to theforward wall of said box, and to the inner end of which the extremity ofthe associated brew line is affixed as for instance by a flare couplingl9.

The loss the distance between the end 78 of rod and the depression ill,the greater the agitation of the brew in its flow therepast and thegreater the release of carbon dioxide gas and the greater the resultanthead or collar. The construction set forth effects an accurate determ:ion. of such head or collar without introduc"? g any excess turbulenceor foaming, as would frequently occur if the brew were passed over sharpedges or if it were drawn by forcing it through narrow restrictions.

While the spherical end of the rod and the corresponding conformation ofdepression has been found to give best results, a corresponding conicalconformation has been found to give useful results.

Means is desirably provided to prevent possible draining by siphoning ofthe contents ,of the usually elevated dispensing box H and of thedistributor case 30. To that end, it is preferred to provide a checkvalve 8!! in the return line immediately above the refrigerator box It.This valve is arranged automatically to close whenever the motor 22 forthe circulating pump is out of action. To this end the valve is arrangedto be opened by an electromagnetic coil iii connected by leads 82 acrossthe mains 83 for the pump motor 22'.

To prevent draining of the distributor case through the inlet main 23,when the system isout of operation, a check valve 84 of any desirableconstruction is interposed in that main, near the liquid cooling box l8.That check valve is levitated under the fluid pressure generated by thecirculating pump 22 during operation, and closes by gravity when suchpressure is discontinued.

To compensate for evaporation of water from the circulating system, andminor loss by leakage, a float valve unit V is desirably connected tothe liquid cooling box IE and connected by nut 8'? to the water mainSill. It serves to maintain the cooling liquid in the said box atuniform level. This float unit may be of entirely conventionalconstruction and illustratively comprises a box 88 with a standpipe 89therein leading to the water main 98. A float ball SH has a bell crankarm 92 pivoted at Q3 and connected by link M to a plug valve 95controlling the admission of water from main 96 to the level determinedby float ball 9!.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely difi'erent embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brew cooling and dispensing installation, comprising a keg, afaucet remote from said keg, a brew line extending from said keg to saidfaucet, a circulating system for cooling fluid and including a pair ofliquid tight jacket lengths, one encircling the portion of said brewline adjacent the keg and the other encircling the major length of brewline therebeyond to said faucet, means feeding cooling fluid in parallelinto the adjacent ends of the respective jacket lengths, passagewayswithin the respective jacket lengths and extending the lengths thereoffor return flow of the cooling liquid from the respective opposite endsthereof, said keg having a hollow part in heat exchange relation withthe keg contents and affording communication between the correspondingjacket length and the return passageway thereof, and means adjacent thefaucet affording communication between the corresponding jacket length,and the return passageway thereof.

2. A brew cooling and dispensing installation, comprising a pair ofmains, means for pumping cooling liquid through one of said mains andreturning it through the other, a plurality of brew kegs in theneighborhood of said mains, a dispensing box remote from said kegs, eachof said kegs having a hollow part incorporated in the structure thereofand in heat exchange relation with the brew contents, said hollow parthaving an inlet and an outlet, each of said kegs having an associatedheat insulating hose with a pair of passageways therethrough connectedat their opposite ends respectively to the respective mains and to theinlet and outlet of the respective hollow parts of the kegs, a singleheat insulating jacket extending between said mains and said dispensingbox, said jacket having a pair of passageways therethrough connected tosaid respective mains at one end and communicating with the interior ofthe dispensing box at the other end, draft tubes in those of the kegs ontap and elongated brew lines connected thereto, extending through therespective hoses, all of said brew lines being gathered together andextending through the jacket from the mains to the dispensing box.

3. A brew cooling and dispensing installation, comprising a keg having adraft outlet, a dispensing box on the floor of the building above thatwhere the keg is disposed, an elongated brew line leading from saiddraft outlet to said dispensing box, heat insulating jacket structureenclosing substantially the entire length of the brew line, a source ofcooling liquid, means for propelling the same through the entire lengthof the jacket structure and about the brew line, return pipe meanswithin the said jacket structure for discharging therefrom the coolingliquid that has traversed the length of the jacket structure, the saidkeg having a hollow part in heat exchange relation with the brewcontents thereof, said hollow part affording communication between thecorresponding end of the jacket structure and the return pipe meanstherein, the dispensing box being supplied from the opposite end of saidjacket structure and overflowing through the return pipe means thereof.

4. A brew cooling and dispensing installation comprising a distributorcase having pairs of connections protruding from the opposite sidesthereof for cooling fluid mains, a pipe length constituting a mainwithin said case joining two of said connections, branch studs on saidpipe length, studs at the lower end of said case, heat insulatingconduits clamped to said studs, brew kegs, each having a hollow part inheat transfer relationship to the brew contents, the free extremities ofthe conduits being connected to deliver into the hollow parts of therespective kegs, a return pipe within each of said conduitscommunicating with the hollow part of the associated keg, the saidreturn pipes of the respective kegs being afiixed to the respectivebranch studs, said distributor case having an outlet at its top, adispensing box remote from said distributor case, a heat insulatingjacket connected between said outlet and said distributing box, a brewline including a flexible element within the respective conduitsextending into said distributor case and brew pipes connected thereto,the brew pipes from the several kegs being gathered together andextending through said jacket to the distributing box, and a returncooling line extending from said dispensing box through said jacket andcommunicating with said main.

5. A brew cooling and dispensing installation comprising a distributorcase having a cooling fluid inlet through one side thereof adapted tofill said case, cooling fluid outlets through the bottom of said case,conduits connected at one end thereof to the respective outlets, brewkegs having hollow parts in heat exchange relation with the brewcontents, the respective opposite ends of said conduits being connectedto deliver to said respective hollow parts, pipes for return flow ofcooling fluid from the respective hollow parts,

said distributor case having a return main therethrough with a pluralityof branch studs over which the respective return pipes from the kegs areaifixed, a heat insulating jacket connected to the wall of saiddistributor case, a dispensing box remote therefrom to which said jacketextends, for delivery of cooling fluid from said distributor case tosaid dispensing box, an overflowreturn pipe from said distributor boxthrough the length of said jacket and aflixed at its lower end to saidreturn main in said case, brew lines from the respective kegs on tapincluding flexible sections through the respective conduits, through theinterior of said distributor case, and lengths of brew line connectedthereto, said brew lines being gathered together and extending throughthe heat insulating jacket.

6. A brew cooling and dispensing installation, comprising a plurality ofkegs, each having a hollow part therein in heat exchange relationship tothe respective keg contents, a dispensing box remote from said kegs, adistributor case near said kegs and remote from said dispensing box, asource of coolin fluid connected to deliver into said distributor caseto fill the later, conduits connected in parallel from the bottom ofsaid case to the respective hollow parts of said kegs, to delivercooling fluid therethrough, return pipes within said several conduitsfor return main return pipe having branch connections for the severalreturn pipes, a heat insulating jacket communicating with said case andfeeding to said dispensing box, an overflow pipe in said dispensing boxextending downward through said heat insulating jacket and connected tosaid line sections Within the respective conduits that communicate fromthose of the kegs on tap to the interior of said distributor case, andbrew lines connected to said sections and gathered together within saidheat insulating jacket to deliver to the dispensing box.

extending return main, flexible brew 7. As an article of manufacture, aconduit unit for use in a brew cooling and dispensing installation,comprising a heat insulating hose having a plug at one end thereof,studs radiating from said plug for accommodating the ends of, hoselengths the other ends of which are to be connected to the respectiveends of internal cooling conduits of brew kegs, said plug having apassageway therethrough communicating directly from the interior of thehose to one of the studs, a cooling fluid return pipe Within said hoseafiixed at its inner end with respect to said plug and in communicationwith the other stud thereon, a flexible brew line within said hose fixedat its inner end to said plug, a shut off means carried by said plug,and means therebeyond for attachment of the unit to a draft connection,both said return pipe and said flexible brew line extending beyond thefree end of said hose.

8. In a brew cooling and dispensing system, a series of kegs, eachhaving a hollow part incorporated in the structure thereof and in heattransfer relation with the keg contents, a dispensing box remote fromsaid kegs, a liquid cooling box, an inlet and a return main connectedtherewith, a pump propelling cooling liquid from said box through saidmains, connections from the respective mains in parallel to the hollowparts of the several kegs and to the dispensing box, all supplied fromsaid mains, and a valve biased to closed position and located in thereturn main and near said liquid cooling box, said valve beingconstructed and arranged to be maintained open only as long as thecooling fluid is being propelled.

9. The combination recited in claim 8 in which a check valve is disposedin the lead to the inlet main and near the liquid cooling box.

GERALD D. PEET.

